Clay-cutting sand-pump.



PATENTEDV MAY 5, 1903..

' AIJ. BRAMIIETTE. CLAY CUTTING SAND PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 20, 1898.

NO MODEL.

coy moroumon WASHINGTON n c UNITED STAT S Patented May 5, 1903.

ANDREW J. BRAMLETTE, OF DOYVNEY, CALIFORNIA.

CLAY-CUTTING SAN D-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,072, dated May5,1903.

Application filed December 20, 1898. Serial No. 699,84=8. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. BRAMLETTE, residing at Downey, in thecounty of Los 'Angeles and State of California, have invented a new anduseful Clay-Cutting Sand-Pump, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide means whereby well-borers canmake rapid progress in sinking through clay, soft shale, or in solidformation and also in packed sand.

My invention includes the improved sandpump and also the cutter withwhich to transform an ordinary sand-pump into a sandpump embodying myinvention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a view, partly in vertical midsection, of a sand-pumpembodying my invention. Fig.2 is a view of the bottom of my newlyinvented clay cutting sand pump. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one ofthe cutters detached.

A indicates the barrel of an ordinary sand pump, having the ring 13 atthe bottom in the ordinary manner.

C C G 0 indicate a, plurality of cutters which are duplicates of eachother. Any desired number of cutters may be used. In the drawings I haveshown a sand-pum p provided with four cutters. These cutters projectdownward below the ring of the sand-pump.

and extend across beneath the ring. The lower portion 0 of each cutteris curved verticallythat is, in a vertical planeand the cutters areattached to the ring of the pump with all the cutters curving in thesame direction, so that when the sand-pump is lowered to strike upon thebottom of the well the cutters will tend to cause a slight rotation ofthe pump as the cutters areinserted into the earth at the bottom of thewell. Then when the sand-pump is drawn up the cutters pull up thatportion of the earth at the bottom of the well which is above the edgeof the cutters, and by repetitionof the vertical operation of thesand-pump the material becomes cutinto small pieces and passes on upthrough the valve and into the barrel of the sandpump. The cutters widendownwardly to ward their inner edges, the flaring being on the inneredge 0 of the cutter, the outer edge 0" of the cutter being in a planewhich is praotically parallel with the axis of the pump.

1 indicates a shoulder above the bit 2 of the cutter at the base of theshank 3, by which the cutter is fastened to the ring. The shank 3 ispreferably an angle-iron, being bent into an angle in cross-section, andthe flange 3 thereof is provided with rivet-holes 4, through which areinserted the rivets 5, by which the shank is riveted to the-ring. Theshoulder on the cutter is of such a depth that when the cutter is inplace the edge of the ring will be in a vertical line above a pointintermediate the ends of the cutting edge, thereby avoiding the strainupon the cutter that would be caused by having the force applied ateither end of the blade. This permits of the cutters being formed fromvery thin material, as almost the entire strain upon the cutter comes ina vertical direction or endwise of the cutter. The upward taper of theinner edge of the cutter gives more room than would be the case if thecutter extended full width from the blade to the top, and yet does notweaken it to any perceptible extent.

If desired, the lower end of the flange of the cutter may be bent orcurved outward to fit the beveled edge of the ring and prevent the earthfrom lodging therein. By bending the flange at substantially a rightangle to the shank and securing it to the ring the blade of the cutterdoes not point directly toward the center or axis of the pump, but alittleto one side of it, thereby causing a greater rotation of the pumpor drill at each stroke and also permitting of cutters being used thatdo not reach to the center of the pump, as the core or portion of earthbetween the ends of the cutters will be broken up by the action of thepeculiarly-formed cutters.

The improved sand-pump is provided with the ordinary valve V and is usedin the same way as an ordinary sand-pump.

The cutters are to be made of difierent sizes for different-sizedsand-pumps and may be kept in stock by dealers and well-borers, and whenthe formation is such as to require their use the appropriate cutterswill be riveted to the sand-pump to be used. By cutting the rivets theymay be removed to be replaced by new cutters when desired.

New, having described my invention, what substantially flat sheet ofmaterial; the lower I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters endor blade of which is tapered to an edge 15 Patent, is and curvedvertically and the upper portion 1. A sand-pump comprising the barreland or'shank is flanged or angular in cross-sec- 5 ring; and a cutterconsisting of a sheet of mation, the outer edge of the cutter beingshoulterial, the lower end of which is curved verdered and the inneredge being inclined from iically and the upper portion of the shank isthe inner edge of the blade toward the upper 20 flanged 0r angular incross-section and the end of the shank.

outer edge is shouldered toward the inner no edge, said shoulder beingseated against the ANDREW BRAMLETTE' ring and the shank fastened to theinside of Witnesses: the ring and barrel. JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

2. A cutter for sand-pumps comprising a E. M. TOWNSEND.

